International Blazer Recipient: Public Speaking
Dear future generation; remember Life is so fragile and unpredictable
Be grateful for every moment. And remember, Nothing is forever.
Sasha Prokhorov, COVID lockdown 2020
2024 International Blazer Recipient: Public Speaking
Sasha was a 2023 National Finalist and was selected for the 2024 Australian team. At the 2024 World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Canberra, Sasha ranked 5th among Australians and 44th globally in Impromptu Speaking, gaining a ranking of 70th overall.
This is Sasha's second International Blazer, having received the award for Science in 2023.
2023 International Blazer Recipient: Academic- Science
When Sasha was considering options for her Student Research Project (SRP) in year 10, she bumped into these little inconspicuous fruits called soapberries. She found that they are used in various traditional cultures around the world as a natural laundry detergent because they contain soap-like compounds called saponins. You can simply place a few of the dried berries in a small cloth bag in your washing and press the start button. Sasha saw them as the ultimate organic soap and became curious about the best conditions for the optimal efficiency of soapberries in the laundry and how they compared to other detergents. This launched her into an excellent SRP that took her to win, in 2022, the first place in Biology investigations and the top accolade of Scientist of the Year in the Young Scientist Awards of the NSW Science Teachers Association. A few months later and after a tough high-calibre scientific competition, Sasha was selected by the Australian Science and Engineering Fair (AUSSEF) as a member of the international team to represent Australia in the 2023 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Dallas, Texas. This is an exceptional achievement, congratulations Sasha!
